incorrigible
incorrigible Lexical Profile
incorrigible Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed, especially regarding a person's entrenched bad habits or playful tendencies.
"Despite numerous warnings from the principal, the prankster remained completely incorrigible."
• noun
A person, especially a juvenile delinquent or habitual offender, who cannot be corrected or reformed.
"The special reformatory was established to house incorrigibles who failed to respond to standard probation."
Word Nuance & Usage
While originally used for serious moral failings or hardened delinquency, 'incorrigible' is frequently used today in a lighthearted or affectionate way to describe harmless, habitual traits (e.g., 'an incorrigible flirt' or 'an incorrigible optimist').
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 14th century via Old French from Latin incorrigibilis ('not able to be corrected'), formed from the negative prefix in- and corrigere ('to set straight or correct').